Continuous miner having disintegrating head mechanism and floor-clean-up means carried on tiltable support



2 ,788 ANISM Aprnl 9, 1957 A. L. BARRETT ,200

CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING DISINTEGRATING HEAD MEC AND FLOOR-CLEAN-UP MEANS CARRIED 0N TIL-TABLE SUPPORT Filed Nov. 15,

. 4 Sheet s l T VENTQR: ARTHUR LEE BARRETT ORNEY 2,788,200 AVING DISINTEGRATING HEAD MECHANISM I CLEAN-UP MEANS CARRIED ON TILTABLE SUPPORT T T E R R A B L A H R E N H N- S.R ww Wm MD 7N 1 9 an r p A 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 15, 1952 [up-Alt 1 n am T I. a

N 4 I M l... u 3 m i a -L ATTORNEY April 9, 1957 A. BARRETT 2,738,200

CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING DISINTEGRATING HEAD MECHANISM AND FLOOR-CLEAN-UP MEANS CARRIED ON TILTABLE SUPPORT Filed Nov. 15, 1952 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY April 9, 1957 A. BARRETT 2,788,200

CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING DISINTEIGRATING HEAD MECHANISM AND FLOOR-CLEAN-UP MEANS CARRIED ON TILTABLE SUPPORT Filed Nov. 15, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENToRE ARTHUR LEE BARRETT ATTORNEY United States Patent CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING DISINTEGRATING HEAD MECHANISM AND FLOOR-CLEAN-UP MEANS CARRIED ON TILTABLE SUPPORT Arthur Lee Barrett, Franklin, Pa., assignor to Zioy lie fannfactoring Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 15, 1952, Serial No. 320,665

13 Elaims. (Cl. 262-9) This invention relates to mining machines and more particularly to a combined coal dislodging and loading apparatus of the type known as a continuous miner for rernovin and loading out coal from a solid coal seam.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mining apparatus. Another object is to provide an improved combined coal dislodging and loading apparatus of the type known as a continuous miner for removing coal from a solid coal seam. Yet another object is to provide an improved continuous miner having a portable machine base on which a tiltable support is pivotally mounted to swing in vertical planes and by which floor clean-up means is carried and on which a coal digging or disintegrating head mechanism is pivotally mounted. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear in the course of the ensuing description and as more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

in these drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the improved continuous miner. I r

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the improved miner showing a portion of the mounting and drive for the conveyor scrolls.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the miner shown in Fig. 1, with the rear portion of the discharge conveyor partially broken away. i

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the miner shown in Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken on the planes of line 5-5 of Fig. 3, showing one of the frames tilting and head swinging cylinders.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the planes of line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken through one of the motors for driving the head mechanism and floor clean-up means, showing a portion of the universal telescopic shaft drive.

The continuous miner in which the improved features of the present invention are embodied may be generally similar to that disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications, Serial Nos. 102,995 and 102,996, both filed on July 5, 1949, owned by the assignee of the present invention, and this miner generally comprises a portable base structure 1 having a frame 2 on which an attacking and disintegrating head mechanism, generally designated 3, is pivotally mounted at 4 to swing in vertical planes with respect to the base. Also carried by the base frame is a floor clean-up means, generally designatedS, which may be generally similar to that disclosed in the Russell application Serial No. 139,631, filed January 20, 1950, now abandoned, and likewise owned by the assignee of the present invention. The disintegrating head mechanism 3 during joperation of the machine .dis lodges and disintegrates 'the'c'o'al of a solid coal seam and embodies a head- 2,788,200 Patented Apr. 9, 195.7

conveyor 6 for receiving the disintegrated coal and for moving the disintegrated coal received thereby rearwardly to discharge onto a discharge conveyor 7, which at its forward portion extends forwardly and downwardly beneath the head mechanism with its forward portion guided on a tiltable frame 8 pivoted at 9 on the base frame, and the pivoted disintegrating head mechanism 3 and the floor clean-up means 5 are carried by this tiltable frame as will later be described.

The portable base 1 is herein for illustrative purposes shown to be of the walking or creeper type having a lower frame 14 carrying conventional vertical hydrauiic jacks if at its four corners, the two front jacks having their pistons connected to a transverse front floorengaging frame 12 and the two rear jacks having their pistons connected to a rear transverse floor engaging frame 13. Secured to the lower frame 16 is a suitable turntable 14 having a bottom support 15 engageable with the mine floor. When the pistons of the vertical jacks it are concurrently lowered with the machine supported by the front and rear transverse frames 12 and 13 and with the floor-engaging support 15 elevated above the floor, the bottom frame may be moved longitudinally along suitable guiding means by conventional horizontal hydraulic jacks 16 (Fig. 5) relative to the base frame. When the transverse frames 12 and 13 are elevated above the fioor by the jack pistons the support 15 rests on the mine floor and the horizontal jacks 16 may then be operated to move the base frame longitudinally along the guiding means relative to the floor-engaging support 15. The base frame may be rotated horizontally about the vertical axis of the turntable to vary the angular position of the disintegrating head mechanism relative to the lower frame of the creeper base. Thus by properly operating the jacks 11 and 16 the machine may be walked step-by-step with a creeping action over the mine floor. Since this walking or creeper base structure is well known and does not per se enter into the present invention further detailed description thereof is herein unnecessary. Evidently, the machine may be mounted on any conventional type of portable base.

The tiltable frame 8 has vertical, longitudinally extending side arm portions 20 (see Figs. 5 and 6) pivoted at 9 on the base frame and these side arms are pivotally mounted at 21 on hollow cylindric trunnions 22 formed integral with the sides of the base frame. A cross shaft 23 extends axially through the trunnions 22 and carries retaining nuts and washers 24 at its opposite ends for retaining the frame side arms on their trunnion mountings. The pivots for the side arms are located a substantial distance rearwardly of the front end of the frame 2, in the manner shown. The conveyor 7 is of the conventional endless scraper type comprising a central drive chain 25 to which cross flights 26 are secured at intervals along its length and the upper and lower runs of this conveyor chain respectively pass above and below the frame pivot, as shown in Fig. 5. Upright hydraulic jacks 27 have cylinders 23 pivotally mounted at their lower ends at 29 on the base frame and reciprocable in these cylinders are pistons 30 having upstanding piston rods 31 pivotally connected at their upper ends at 32 to the rearward ends of the frame side arms 20. Thus by properly supplying liquid under pressure to the cylinders of these jacks the frame 8 may be tilted in vertical planes about the frame pivot 9 and by trapping the liquid within these cylinders the frame it may be locked in adjusted position.

The attacking and disintegrating head mechanism 3 comprises a swingable frame 35 having parallel vertical side bars 36 about the margins of which endless side disintegrating chains '37 are guided for orbital circulation, and driven by these side chains and arranged transversely of the head frame between the forward portions of the is vertical side bars is a toothed disintegrating drum or roller 38 of an improved design. The side bars of the head frame are suitably rigidly connected by transverse frame portions 39 which provide suitable guideways for the endless head conveyor 6.

Arranged transversely of the forward portion of the tiltable frame 8 in coaxial relation with the pivot 4 of the disintegrating head mechanism is a drive shaft 40 and secured to this cross shaft (Fig. 6) are chain sprockets 41 which engage and drive the endless side disintegrating chains 37 of the head mechanism. Also secured to and driven by this shaft are sprockets 42 which engage and drive endless side chains 43 of the head conveyor 6 which is of a conventional construction. These conveyor side chains have usual transverse scraper bars 44 secured thereto at intervals along their lengths and these scraper bars are adapted to move over the top surface 45 of the upper transverse portion 39 which extends between and is secured to the vertical side bars 36 of the head frame.

I- Mounted at the sides of the base frame 2 are conventional motors each having universal drive shaft connections fully disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications, Serial Nos. 102,995 and 102,996 above referred to and including a shaft 51 which is flexibly coupled to the rear end of the tubular motor shaft 52 and extends axially through the tubular motor shaft. There is clearance at 50 between the inner shaft 51 and the tubular motor shaft 52 and a universal joint 51' (Fig. 7) between the rear end of each motor shaft and the telescopic shaft connection 52' for the shaft 51 permits limited angular movement of the latter in vertical planes relative to the motor shaft as the tiltable frame 8 is swung in vertical planes about its pivot, as will later be made apparent. Each shaft 51 is connected through a conventional universal coupling 53 to a shaft 54 suitably journaled in a gear housing 55 attached to the adjacent side of the tiltable frame 8. The cross shaft 40 is journaled at its ends-in bearings 56 likewise supported within the gear housings 55, and the latter contain conventional speed reduction gearings 57 having terminal gears 58 secured to the opposite ends of the cross shaft 40. As the frame 8 is tilted about its pivot 9 in vertical planes relative to the relatively stationary motors 50 the universal shaft connections between the rearward ends of the tubular motor shafts and the universal couplings 53 cooperate to permit tilting of the shafts 54 with the frame 8 so that drive between the motors and the shafts 54 and the cross shaft 40 is maintained irrespective of the tilted position of the frame 8 relative to the motors.

The disintegrating head mechanism 3 includes the head frame 35 which is provided with rearward bearing engaging portions 61 (Fig. 6) pivotally mounted on suitable bearing sleeves supported by trunnions 62 formed on the inner sides of the gear housings 55. Projecting upwardly from the sides of the head frame and curved rearwardly are brackets 63, and conventional hydraulic jacks 64, located at the top of the machine and the tiltable frame, have piston rods 65 pivotally connected at their forward ends at 66 to the upper ends of these brackets. These piston rods are secured to pistons 67 reciprocable in cylinders 68 pivotally connected at 69 at their rearward ends to brackets 70 mounted at the top of the base frame atthe sides of the discharge conveyor 7 (Fig. 3).

-Now referring to the detail structure of the improved toothed drum or roller structure, it will be noted that the hub of the drum 38 is composed of semi-circular complemental parts 71 secured together as by screws '72 and these drum parts when rigidly secured together surround and are keyed to a cross shaft 73 suitably journaled within the sides of the forward portion of the head frame. This drum extends transversely between the inner sides of the vertical side bars 36 of the head frame and has securedthereto, as by welding or otherwise, a series of bladelike members, or paddles 74 projecting radially from the drum hub and these paddles serve to convey the disintegrated coal upwardly and rearwardly to discharge onto the head conveyor 6. Arranged in staggered relation on the drum and secured as by welding to the rear sides of the paddles 74 and to the drum hub are cutter supports 75 which carry detachable cutting teeth 76 and these drum teeth, during operation of the machine, engage and tear away the solid coal from the coal seam. Extending transversely between the vertical side bars of the head frame is a toothed comb or grizzly 77 having teeth 78 separated by vertical arcuate slots 79 through which the drum teeth pass as the drum revolves and this grizzly serves to deflect the disintegrated coal from the drum and to direct it rearwardly onto the head conveyor 6.

The floor clean-up means 5 may assume various forms but herein, for illustrative purposes, comprises a front shoe 8ft secured to the tiltable frame 8 at the forward end of the conveyor 7 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 5) and this shoe, when the floor clean-up means is in lowered operating position, may rest on the mine floor in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Pivotally mounted at 81 to the tiltable frame 8 to swing horizontally at opposite sides of the forward portion of the conveyor 7 are housings 82 on which conveyor scrolls 83 are journaled and these scroll housings may be swung horizontally about their pivots in a manner similar to that fully disclosed in the above mentioned Russell application, Serial No. 139,631. As shown in Fig. 2 these conveyor scrolls are driven by the motors 50 and secured to the outer elements of the universal couplings 53 are pulleys 84 which are connected by endless drive belts 85 to pulleys 86 suitably journaled on the tiltable head frame 8. The pulleys 86 are journaled on the base frame and are arranged on parallel longitudinally extending axes spaced equidistantly from the median longitudinal line of the base frame. The pulleys 86 are connected by conventional self-adjust ing or universal telescopic drive shaft connections 87 to shafts 88 suitably journaled within gear housings 89 attached to the outer portions of the scroll frames 82. Secured to the shafts 88 are worms 90 which mesh With worm wheels 91 suitably secured to the scroll hub shafts 92. Thus the conveyor scrolls 83 may be driven by the motors 50 irrespective of the tilted position of the frame 8 and the horizontally swung position of the scroll frames about their pivots relative to the tiltable frame. As disclosed in the Russell application, Serial No. 139,631 above referred to, the nose 80 of the clean-up means as the base frame is advanced over the mine floor may serve to pile-up any loose coal which has fallen to the floor during the disintegrating operation and the conveyor scrolls 83 move the disintegrated coal on the floor inwardly toward the nose 80 and this piled-up material, when the disintegrating head mechanism 3 is in lowered position, may be moved by the bottom run of the head conveyor 6 forwardly toward the toothed drum 38 and the drum paddles pick-up the loose material from the door and move it upwardly to discharge onto the head conveyor 6.

During tramming of the machine about the mine the walking or creeper base effects propulsion and steering of the machine in a well-known manner and during tramming of the machine the hydraulic jacks 27 are operated to tilt the forward portion of the frame 8 upwardly to elevate the floor clean-up means 5 intransport position above the mine floor, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The hydraulic jacks 27 may be operated to swing the tiltable frame 8 in vertical planes about its pivot 9 to change the elevation of the pivot 4 of the disintegrating head mechanism 3, and liquid trapped in these jacks 27- may serve to hold the tiltable frame, together with the floor clean-up means and the disintegrating head mechanism, in adjusted position. Since the general mode of operation of a continuous miner of the type disclosed is well known to those skilled in the art and is fully dis-' closed in the above mentioned Russell and Sibley applications, further description of the mode of operation of the machine is herein unnecessary other than to state that the disintegrating head mechanism may be sumped into the solid coal near the floor level by the hydraulic jacks 16 of the creeper base, after sumping, the head mechanism may be swung upwardly in vertical planes about its pivot to effect disintegration of the solid coal between the floor and roof by the hydraulic swing jacks 64, and finally the head mechanism may be retracted from the coal seam at the roof level also by the hydraulic jacks 16 of the creeper base.

As a result of this invention an improved combined dislodging and loading machine of the type known as a continuous miner is provided for dislodging and disintegrating the solid coal of a coal seam and for loading out the disintegrated coal as mining progresses. By the provision of the plural pivotal mounting for the disintegrating head mechanismof the machine the elevation of the head pivot may be varied as desired, and by mounting the floor clean-up means on the tiltable frame the clean-up means may likewise be elevated in a relatively simple manner. The improved paddle type toothed disintegrating drum of the head mechanism may not only effectively effect tearing away and disintegration of the solid coal but also may serve to convey the disintegrated coal upwardly and rearwardly toward the head conveyor in an extremely effective manner. The improved continuous miner as a result of the improved features provided is not only simple and rugged in design but is also flexible in operation and readily maneuverable, well adapted to effect its intended purpose. These and other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mining machine, a portable base movable over the floor of a mine and having a frame pivotally mounted between its ends on the forward portion of said base frame to tilt in vertical planes about a transverse horizontal axis and projecting in advance of said base, said tiltable frame having a downwardly extending forward portion, a disintegrating head mechanism pivotally mounted on the outer portion of said tiltable frame to swing in vertical planes about an axis parallel with said tiltable frame axis for dislodging and disintegrating the mineral of a solid mine vein, said head mechanism extending forwardly in advance of said tiltable frame, means for advancing said base frame to feed said head mechanism into the mine veing at a sumping speed, means for swinging said head mechanism in vertical planes about its pivot for dislodging and disintegrating the mineral between the floor and roof of the mine, means operatively connected to said tiltable frame for tilting the latter to vary the elevation of the pivot of said head mechanism with respect to said base frame, and a floor clean-up mechanism mounted at the forward portion of said tiltable frame beneath said head mechanism for cleaning up any loose mineral which has fallen to the mine fioor during the mining operation, said tiltable frame being tiltable to elevate said floor clean-up mechanism with respect to the mine floor.

2. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein conveying means is mounted on said base frame for re ceiving the disintegrated mineral discharged from said head mechanism, said conveying means having its forward portion extending downwardly beneath said head mechanism on said downwardly extending forward por' tion of said tiltable frame in advance of the pivot of said tiltable frame, the loose mineral gathered by said clean-up mechanism also being discharged onto said conveying means.

3. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein a power jack device is provided for both said tiltable frame and said head mechanism for swinging the same about their respective pivots, each of said jack devices comprising a fluid cylinder containing a reciprocable piston, and control means is provided for separately controlling the flow of operating fluid to the cylinders of said devices.

4. A mining machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein said conveying means comprises an endless conveyor mounted on said base frame and guided by said tiltable frame, said conveyor having its upper and lower runs disposed above and below the pivotal axis of said tiltable frame.

5. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein motor means is mounted on said base frame and relative to which said tiltable frame is tiltable, self-adjusting driving connections are provided between said motor means and said head mechanism, and self-adjusting driving connections are provided between said motor means and said clean-up mechanism.

6. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein motors are mounted at the sides of said base frame to drive said disintegrating head mechanism, said tiltable frame having parallel arm portions extending rearwardly of the pivot of said tiltable frame at the inner sides of said motors.

7. A mining machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein motors are mounted at the sides of said base frame to drive said head mechanism and said conveying means, said tiltable frame having tiltable side arm portions extending rearwardly of the pivot of said tiltable frame, said arm portions straddling said conveying means at the inner sides of said motors.

8. A mining machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein said tilting means for said tiltable frame comprises extensible jack devices operatively connected to the rear ends of said parallel arm portions of said tiltable frame.

9. A mining machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein self-adjusting driving connections are provided between said motors and said head mechanism for driving the latter in all tilted positions of said tiltable frame relative to said motors.

10. A mining machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein self-adjusting driving connections are provided between said motors and said gathering mechanism for driving the latter in all tilted positions of said tiltable frame.

11. A mining machine as set forth in claim 10 wherein said driving connections include driving elements carried by said tiltable frame.

12. in a mining machine of the character disclosed, the combination comprising a base frame, a tiltable frame pivotally mounted on said base frame to swing in vertical planes, a disintegrating head mechanism pivotally mounted on the outer portion of said tiltable frame, a floor clean-up means comprising a pair of rotatable gathering conveyors mounted on the forward portion of said tiltable frame for gathering loose mineral on the mine floor in advance of said base frame, a motor means mounted on said base frame and relative to which said tiltable frame is tiltable, a pair of driving elements arranged on said base frame at points spaced equidistantly from the longitudinal median line of said base frame and extending longitudinally of parallel horizontal axes and driven by said motor means, self-adjusting drive connections between said driving elements and said conveyors respectively whereby said conveyors may be driven irrespective of the tilted position of said tiltable frame with respect to said base frame.

13. In a mining machine of the character disclosed, the combination comprising a base frame, a tiltable frame pivotally mounted on said base frame to swing in veraesaaoo ,tical plane s with respect thereto, a disintegrating head mechanism pivotally mounted on the outer portion of said tiltable'frame to swing in verticalplanes about a parallel 3X15 said. disintegrating head mechanism comprising disintegrating elements movable in parallel vertical orbits, material gathering means mounted on the 'frcntportion of said tiltable frame beneath said head mechanism'for gathering loose mineral on the mine floor in advance of said base frame, m0tor means mounted on .said base frame and relative to which the said tiltable frame is tiltable, self-adjusting driving connections between said motor means and said orbitally movable disintegrating elements for driving the latter irrespective of the tiltedposition of said tiltaole frame relative to said motor means, and self-adjusting driving connections be- 15 tween s aid motor means and said gathering means.

UNFED TKFBS PA E S 'Pawel Feb. 17, Gross Mar. 2, Wilson Aug. 11, Holmes May 26, Lindgren Nov. 10, Osgood Jan. 13, 'Cartlidge June 23, Cartlidge Apr. 8, Hagenbook Sept. 30, Moon Mar. 3, Barrett Apr. 14, Snyder et a1. Nov. 16, Linclgren et a1 Nov. 30,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. :27, 

